April 20, 2013 11:22 PM CDTApril 20, 2013 11:22 PM CDTHeika: From looks to play to hometown, Cody Eakin hearkens back to a player from Stars' Stanley Cup run

Heika: From looks to play to hometown, Cody Eakin hearkens back to a player from Stars' Stanley Cup run

3/15

Louis DeLuca/Staff Photographer

Dallas' Cody Eakin (20) reaches out to glove the puck in the offensive zone in the first period during the Vancouver Canucks vs. the Dallas Stars NHL hockey game at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Thursday, April 18, 2013. (Louis DeLuca/The Dallas Morning News) 04192013xSPORTS

So if that’s the doppelganger for Stars center Cody Eakin,
then he’s in pretty good shape.

The physical comparisons are easy — Eakin is a
scrappy-looking redhead from Winnipeg,
the same as Keane. But the style similarities might be even more haunting, and
that’s what makes Stars fans a little excited.

“I think what you love to see is his battle level and his
ability to get in on people and force the game,” said Stars coach Glen
Gulutzan. “That’s what might be the best comparison. Those Winnipeg boys, they’ve got a personality to
them. You certainly see shades of that with Eaks. Guys love him, he’s a
character guy, a competitive guy, those are the guys you are going to win
with.”

Keane, of course, was one of the key pieces of the 1999
Stanley Cup champion Stars. He also was a part of Cup teams in 1993 with Montreal and 1996 with Colorado. While he was a solid
penalty-killer, a strong forechecker, and a high-energy guy, Keane was mostly a
winner.

Eakin, 21, is just starting on his journey, but he already
has shown leadership skills. He helped Kootenay to the Western Hockey League
championship in 2011 and was a big part of the Texas Stars’ fast start in the
AHL this season. In his step up to the NHL, Eakin ranks fifth on the Stars in
scoring with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 43 games.

“He’s fit in very well, and I think there’s no questions
he can score,” Gulutzan said. “He’s young, and he’s had lots of chances, so I
think he’s going to get even better.”

Eakin looks at the NHL the same way he did junior hockey.
He started slowly, and was drafted in the third round (85th overall) in 2009
after a 48-point season. The next season, he tallied 91 points in 70 games for
Swift Current and probably would have been taken in the first round after that.

“It’s definitely a process,” Eakin said. “You take your
time, and you start to feel comfortable, and then the goals just start to come.
That’s how it worked in junior, and I think it will be the same way here.”

Eakin is seen as a sort of tweener between the second- and
third-line center spot. He definitely has the speed, intensity and defensive
presence to play the third line, but there’s still a question of whether he can
scale up and be a reliable second-line center who produces 50-70 points a
season. With the Stars’ decision to trade away Derek Roy, there is some debate
that they don’t need to get another center and that Eakin can grow into the
job.

Eakin lists Paul Kariya and Wayne Gretzky as childhood
heroes and said he definitely spent plenty of time on the outdoor rinks in Winnipeg working on his
scoring skills. So he’d like to try to push those numbers up.

Eakin’s run with Kootenay in 2010-11 gave just a glimpse
of how good he can be. He tallied 71 points (29 goals, 42 assists) in just 45
games, and played on the same roster with current Stars forward Matt Fraser.

“He’s got great vision, and he understands the game,”
Fraser said. “He’s really fast, and he can create opportunities quickly.”

But, many players have had big numbers in junior hockey
only to see the NHL prove more challenging. Keane put up 83 points in 67 games
with Moose Jaw
in 1985-86 before settling in to a pace that was closer to 30 points a season
in the NHL.

The thing about Keane was he brought a great deal more
than just points. Not only did he log 220 playoff games (12th in NHL history),
but he also finished out his career by playing five seasons in the AHL with the
Manitoba Moose. He played for the love of the game, an attribute that seems
fairly strong in Eakin.

“I met him at the AHL Skills Competition when I was 15,
and he treated me really well, so I was impressed with him,” Eakin said of a
chance encounter he had with Keane, “He was a great player, so it’s pretty cool
if people are comparing me to him.”

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